Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- December 29, 2023

• Summit carbon pipeline says it's signed 80% of needed easements in ND -- Ag Week

• Investigators look for cause of oil-field explosion near Williston -- Minot Daily News

• Ukranian oilfield hands in North Dakota fear 'what comes next' -- The Epoch Times

• A merry drill, baby, drill 12-hour Christmas Monday in the Bakken -- The Epoch Times

• DMR reports a 'good year' for oil and gas production in North Dakota -- Prairie Public Newsroom

• US Dept of Energy looks to build an energy industry within North Dakota's tribal nations -- KX News

• Year in Review: Carbon capture sees ups and downs, oil continues to rebound -- Bismarck Tribune

• Green Bison Soy Processing Plant is a game changer for northern Plains soybeans -- Dickinson Press

• With pipeline growth booming, US agency in charge of safety struggles to keep up -- Bismarck Tribune

• ND natgas production dips, takeaway capacity concerns forecast for 2024 -- Natural Gas Intelligence

• Biden administration grants Louisiana power to approve carbon capture wells -- Bismarck Tribune

• Applications open in January for new Primary Residence Credit of up to $500 for 2024 -- The Journal

• Job Service North Dakota reports stable unemployment rate at 1.4% in November -- Dickinson Press

• Gov. Burgum names Braun interim director for prisons as Krabbenhoft retires -- North Dakota Monitor

• Williston City Commission renews $150,000 property tax exemption for new homes -- KFYR - TV

• Rep. Jeremy Olson announces he is running for reelection in District 26 -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Southwest North Dakota nonprofits are getting ready for Giving Hearts Day -- Bowman County Pioneer

• Local Lions Club asking for community support for Preschool Park fundraising push -- The Beacon

• World-Record: Mott prepares for record-setting fireworks display on December 30 -- Dickinson Press

• Ward County commissioners adopt multi-hazard mitigation plan; updated every 5 years -- KFYR - TV

• Bakken Area Skills Center nearly complete; classes to start on January 15 -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Williston Basin School District prepares next steps for upcoming bond referendum -- KFYR - TV

• Ray Public School receives $190K toward career and tech ed classes, library supplies -- The Journal

• ND Dollars for Scholars accepting applications from seniors, college students -- Minot Daily News

• Minot North High School sees significant remodel progress; no setbacks foreseen by Faul -- KFYR - TV

• Lower 48 oil, natural gas permitting tumbles in November, led by Permian dip -- Natural Gas Intelligence

• OPEC facing weakening demand in first half of 2024 just as its global market share declines -- Reuters

• Record 26.9M bpd global gasoline consumption in 2023 defies IEA forecast; tops 2019 peak -- Oil Price

• Biden anti-consumer crusade targets four more types of appliances, price will increase -- Fox News

• Federal judge sides with Osage tribe, orders massive Oklahoma wind farm torn down -- Daily Caller

• US finalizes contracts to purchase 3M barrels of oil to replenish SPR after last year's sales -- Reuters

• Green groups are feuding over US treasury's clean hydrogen tax credit rule -- Wall Street Journal

• New York City climate policies could make life even more 'unaffordable' for middle class -- Daily Caller

• "We never had a vote": Climate expert blasts Biden admin for imposing climate agenda -- Daily Caller

• Range anxiety: New testing finds electric vehicles fall short of EPA estimates -- The Center Square

• No one wants to buy used electric vehicles, making new ones a tougher sell too -- Japan Times

• GOP presidential field generally opposes eminent domain for carbon pipelines -- North Dakota Monitor

• U.S. drivers hope for lower pump prices in 2024 as gas stocks, global refining capacity climbs -- Reuters

• Mainstream media pushes false claims of 2023 being the "hottest in 125,000 years" -- Climate Realism

• Despite mainstream media blackout, 2023 was a year of record cold temperatures -- Slay News

• 2023 US wildfire season sees total acreage burned under 3 million, lowest since 1998 -- Climate Depot

Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- December 22, 2023

• Trial set for ND pursuit of DAPL protest law enforcement, damage costs -- AP

• North Dakota inspires DOE expansion of energy production in the Arctic -- KX News

• ND one of six states not applying for 'Solar for All' grant program -- SD Searchlight

• Xcel closes first unit at Sherco coal plant, a transition milestone -- Star Tribune

• Preparations underway with North Dakota Republican presidential caucus 75 days away -- KFYR-TV

• Responsibility for any prosecution in building cost overrun investigation still unclear -- Bismarck Tribune

• Lawmakers voice frustrations as questions linger on deleted emails, lease -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota reaches new population record of 783,926 in latest census estimates -- Dickinson Press

• Questions remain over ND legislative district maps; lawmakers may miss deadline -- The Center Square

• GOP incumbents Gallion, Beadle, Christmann announce plans to run again in 2024 -- Bismarck Tribune

• State Representative Nico Rios cited for driving under the influence over weekend -- Bismarck Tribune

• Divide County zoning board hones in on concerns over solar facility at public hearing -- The Journal

• Center Mine publishes list of areas scheduled for blasting starting now through Dec 2024 -- The Beacon

• Human Relations Committee was discontinued at Minot's City Council recent meeting -- KFYR-TV

• Killdeer's Convention and Visitors Bureau launches community-driven public input -- Dickinson Press

• As Applied Digital is expanding its footprint, town of Ellendale hopes to keep pace -- Dickinson Press

• NDDOT STIP report highlights several road construction projects in Williston district -- KFYR-TV

• Availability of new grant has Ward County Highway Department exploring projects -- Minot Daily News

• Crosby City Council appoints president as new mayor after previous one stepped down -- KFYR-TV

• Hess Corp. kicks off toy truck and STEM curriculum donation to North Dakota schools -- KX News

• Poll shows 88% of ND teachers believe retention will be harder next school year -- Minot Daily News

• North Dakota DPI awards $3 million for paraprofessional-to-teacher program -- Bismarck Tribune

• Minot Public School board has offered the position of superintendent to Dr. Scott Faul -- KFYR-TV

• Divide County school board approves gym floor, bleacher bids, hires business teacher -- The Journal

• Williston Basin School District still gathering input for upcoming elementary school bond -- KFYR-TV

• South Heart Public School esteemed music teacher Jana Schweigert honored -- Dickinson Press

• MCPSD1 superintendent seeks input on school communication methods -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Rugby High School receives Blue Ribbon designation based on academic excellence -- KFYR - TV

• New England High School making waves of positive change throughout community -- Dickinson Press

• 22 states take aim at SEC over climate regulations creating new type of company -- Fox Business News

• Emails show Biden admin coordinating with environmental group that's suing them -- Daily Caller

• World leaders ignore growing safety issues with 'green' energy; batteries start fires -- Steve Goreham

• Republicans in Congress hold hearing 'to prevent energy poverty' in America -- Real Clear Energy

• Canada to announce requirement that all vehicles sold be zero emissions by 2035 -- The Hill

• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says 'bananas' federal EV decree will lead to rationing -- Calgary Herald

• US shale producers return to haunt OPEC pricing strategy, production tops expectations -- Bloomberg

• Angola leaves OPEC after minister says country gains nothing from membership -- Reuters

• Global coal demand set to rise by 1.4%, surpass record-high level of 8.5B tons for first time -- Oil Price

• US grid blackouts possible as retirements too fast for renewables to backfill -- Natural Gas Intelligence

• Shale drillers from Permian Basin to Bakken ramp up oil production well beyond forecast -- World Oil

• Wyoming's Halleck Creek mine may soon be ranked number 1 for critical minerals -- Bismarck Tribune

• French court orders wind farm to be torn down after golden eagle death -- Recharge

• US buys 2 million barrels of oil for Strategic Petroleum Reserve at average of $74.23 per bbl -- Reuters

• Oil drillers get last shot at Gulf of Mexico leases before admin imposes 2 year hiatus -- BNN Bloomberg

• Supreme Court to hear arguments on EPA's 'good neighbor' rule during February sitting -- E&E News

• Upstart EV companies are careening toward bankruptcy -- Committee to Unleash Prosperity

• The rush to force everyone to purchase electric vehicles is imploding -- Heartland Institute

• Biden gifting $600M to activist groups, universities to push eco-justice -- Climate Change Dispatch

• Debunking the utterly unscientific 1.5?C "climate cliff," it's nothing but hot air -- Climate Realism

Geoff Simon's Quick Connects -- December 15, 2023

• ND Supreme Court to hear pipeline survey access case -- North Dakota Monitor

• Researchers find cost-effective way to extract rare-earth elements from coal -- MPR

• Alaska legislators travel to ND to learn about carbon capture efforts -- Alaska Beacon

• Many Heartland Hydrogen Hub details will take years to finalize -- Bismarck Tribune

• North Dakota energy sector sees slowed growth in Q3 sales -- McKenzie County Farmer

• North Dakota regulators worry new methane rule could cost jobs, thousands of barrels of oil -- InForum

• Bakken, Permian take spotlight in quarterly federal oil, natural gas auctions -- Natural Gas Intelligence

• Public Service Commission approves MDU request for interim natural gas rate hike -- Bismarck Tribune

• New Mexico, the No. 2 oil-producing US state, braces for possible end to income bonanza -- KX News

• ND PSC inviting comments regarding certificate of corridor and route permit transfer -- The Beacon

• General fund revenue 10.4% higher than state forecasted during budgeting -- North Dakota Monitor

• 3rd quarter taxable sales in ND up from 2022; economic activity might be slowing -- Bismarck Tribune

• ND League of Women Voters works to spur more candidates for 2024 election -- North Dakota Monitor

• North Dakota GOP taps next executive director; third person to hold role this year -- Bismarck Tribune

• CPKC Holiday Train returns to North Dakota this weekend, making six stops through state -- KFYR - TV

• State agencies collect over 13,000 food items in third year of Auditor's Office challenge -- KX News

• State Senator Dale Patten seeking re-election in McKenzie, Dunn County's District 26 -- KX News

• Slain Mercer County deputy remembered as dedicated lawman, family man, friend -- Bismarck Tribune

• FEMA approves $15.8M in public assistance for Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative -- KX News

• Divide County to hear public comments about potential changes to solar ordinance -- The Journal

• Crosby City Council looks to fill open mayor's seat after Vassen cites plans to move -- The Journal

• Stark County Sheriff's Office adopts safer restraints, abandons dated method -- Dickinson Press

• Williston Police Department officers to receive $1,400 bonus thanks to state grant -- KFYR-TV

• Construction on Williston's US 2, 2nd Ave W intersection starting in 2025 say officials -- KFYR - TV

• Minot Air Force Base a major winner defense bill passed by Congress this week -- Minot Daily News

• Wabek School comes back to life after Andes undertakes its restoration -- McLean County Independent

• Dreams of white Christmas in western ND unlikely to come true this year -- Bowman County Pioneer

• Unqualified teachers are in the classroom due to North Dakota's teacher shortage -- KX News

• Williston school board votes to keep 'not age-appropriate' library books on the shelves -- KFYR - TV

• Lincoln Elementary in Beach transforms learning landscape with $8,208 DPI grant -- Dickinson Press

• Deliberations over next Minot Public Schools superintendent to spill into next week -- KFYR - TV

• NDSU leaders request 'refresh' of funding formula for higher education institutions -- Dickinson Press

• North Dakota seeks CDL shortcuts to remedy bus driver shortage -- North Dakota Monitor

• ND Assistant Principal of the Year winner from Lewis and Clark North Shore Plaza -- Minot Daily News

• Five WCHS art students recognized at Badlands Art Association Art Show -- McKenzie County Farmer

• Wyoming innovates to combat climate change as part of "all-of-the-above" energy policy -- CBS News

• New pipelines to bring significant volumes of natgas to export terminals under construction -- US EIA

• Grid monitor warns of blackouts as coal plants retire; debate over slowing retirements -- E&E News

• FTC opens inquiry of Chevron-Hess merger, marking 2nd review this week of major oil deal -- KX News

• Unprecedented COP28 agreement unlikely to prompt upheaval in US energy landscape -- The Hill

• Oil-rich Saudi Arabia urging nations to take action on growing climate threat of wind, solar -- E&E News

• India, 3rd largest crude importer, to boost refining capacity by 1M bpd each year until 2028 -- Oil Price

• World oil demand to rise faster than expected to 1.1 million barrels per day in 2024 says IEA -- Reuters

• What do China and India know about coal that Biden and Democrats don't? -- Real Clear Energy

• Lesson for fossil fuel advocates' from COP28: Stop "Arguing to 0," start "Arguing to 100" -- Alex Epstein

• USA Today claims weather getting weirder, more extreme; Data shows it's not -- Climate Realism

• Climate change advocacy: Is it incompetence or intentional fraud? -- Manhattan Contrarian